The present invention generally relates to digital music, and more particularly relates to encoding and searching for digital music based on the tune or melody.
The proliferation of digital music files has led to vast resources being available to individuals seeking music. Files are available in many formats, including the very popular MP3 format, but other popular formats include MIDI formatted files and specialized formats encompassing a range of musical works from complex compositions to simple ring tones for portable cellular telephones.
Listeners have a plethora of resources to find music via text search engines within their own music libraries or on the Internet. These traditional search methods generally work, however, when the listener knows text-based information that might identify the music. When a listener only remembers the tune in his head, rather than the title or artist or other textual identification, there are few easy-to-use resources available to identify the music.
An individual may hear music on the radio or in a public establishment, but not get the identifying information, and later want to acquire any number of related products such as a Compact Disc recording, sheet music, or a ring tone for his or her phone. Without textually identifying information, the music fan generally has no good way of identifying the particular composition of interest.
Some existing methods available via the internet, for example, do permit melody-based searching. However, current approaches to melody-based searching do not strike a balance between ease-of-use and accuracy of results. For example, some existing melody search tools use melody encoding schemes so general as to yield too many matches. Others use encoding schemes so exacting that minor input errors by their users exclude the music sought.